Metro Pulse/Restaruant Rover/Tennessee Grill

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Tennessee Grill
900 Neyland Drive
862-8657

by Ally Carte

Just when I thought one more stiflingly humid day would be the end of me (and of what's left of my naturally curly hair), the weather suddenly broke, quicker than a fever. Gone are evenings spent spread-eagled on the back porch, waiting for a less-hot breeze. Back, again, are evenings spent on the back porch wondering if you should grab a sweater to fend off the slightest nip. Ah, fall.

Which should explain why I spent the weekend on the prowl for a new al fresco dining spot, preferably one with a view. The original Calhoun's is an old favorite, of course, as is Riverside Tavern. Yet I've always found something off-putting about eating while staring at the tank farm of Holston Gases. It's not enough of an intrusion for me to not frequent either establishment, mind you (and I have an inappropriate crush on the Tavern's spicy chicken corn chowder), but I want more.

Further up Neyland Drive, almost directly across from that enormous shrine dedicated to all things Vol, squats the Tennessee Grill, which occupies the third floor of the freshly built UT boathouse. The Grill is modern in design, with lots of glass and chrome and dark woods. A narrow deck runs along its backside—just the right width for a couple of four-tops, some potted hibiscus, and a railing. The view from there, should you be lucky enough to snag a table, is wonderful. From my perspective, all I could see was water and green; I'm told the other direction looks to downtown. It's a marvelous place to experience the seasons changing.

Unfortunately, the view is not matched by the main dishes. Profoundly OK, yes, but not anything to cheer about. Since we knew we wanted to save some room for sweets, we skipped the appetizers. Maybe the starter plates are where the Grill invests all of its culinary energies—Maytag blue cheese chips ($6.79) or seared ahi tuna ($8.99) sound intriguing—but it seems unlikely. Besides, our eyes were locked on the dessert of the day: Jack Daniels chocolate chip pecan pie with Hilton Head vanilla bean ice cream ($5.95).

But first there was the formality of dinner to get through. While the vegetarian portabello wrap with provolone, field greens, roasted red peppers, and herbed mayo ($7.99) touched a tastebud and the salads looked interesting, like the smoked salmon number with romaine, bell peppers, and orange slices ($8.99), my heart was stuck on a slab of meat. Maybe it's just a response to the oncoming cold, but the temptation of the Lady Vol marinated sirloin with a loaded baked potato ($14.99) was undeniable.

The steak itself was cooked to perfection, exactly medium rare. While the marinade added some flavor, it was difficult to say exactly what that was. It was neither bad nor good, lacking in character or ooomph. The same can be said for the potato, even filled as it was with shredded cheddar, butter, bacon and green onions. At least the onions added some bite, contrasting with the bland potato flesh and the rich toppings.

The backyard BBQ chicken ($11.99) didn't fare much better. Sure, the boneless breast was covered with layers of goodies—ham, apple-smoked bacon, and Jack cheese served on a mound of mashed—yet none of them tasted of anything beyond basic salty or smoky. And while the accompanying side of cinnamon apples was certainly sweet, that's about all it was. The lack of flavor in the main dishes almost made me feel as if I hadn't really eaten anything. Or maybe I was just too taken with the cool breezes and rippling water.

Dessert, however, was fabulous. A tender crust gave way to gooey, dark chocolate and pecans. In delightful contrast was the hefty ball of vanilla ice cream that started to melt into the warm pie. Good stuff and well worth the 20-minute wait that it took to actually get it.

The people at the Tennessee Grill couldn't be friendlier. Everyone, from waitstaff to management, earnestly wants to do the best job possible—so much so that the manager deducted the pie's cost from our bill, gave us a coupon for two free deserts next time we came in, and apologized for the inconvenient wait, completely unprompted by us and utterly a surprise.

Given all that the Tennessee Grill has going for it, revamping the menu a bit, with more of a focus on fresh flavors paired in interesting ways, could make it divine. And while I'm aware that the steep prices are a reflection of the restaurant's location, I do expect more flair with the food itself because of them.

Despite that—and maybe because I'm just a glutton...for punishment—I may swing in for the Grill's Sunday brunch. As long as there are seats on the deck, that is.